introduction
to events
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01
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t is often said that there’s never a dull day working in events. While this
statement might not be entirely accurate, it’s certainly true that a career in
the events industry offers variety, continually throws up new challenges, is
fast-paced, often sociable, and may even offer a touch of glamour. But what
exactly does a career in events planning entail? Some people are surprised to
discover that there’s more to it than simply organizing parties and weddings.
While party and wedding planning make up a significant part of the industry
– each year weddings are worth around £10 billion in the UK (Hitched
W.I.F.E, nd) and a staggering $54 billion in the USA (The Wedding Report,
2013) – events also include business meetings and conferences, music concerts and festivals, food and drink festivals, religious celebrations, art and
cultural exhibitions and sporting competitions.
As an events planner, you are likely to find yourself organizing a number
of different events at any one given time. A typical working week (if there is
such a thing in the events industry) might involve travelling to a number of
different locations, visiting a variety of possible event sites (both indoor and
outdoor) as well as meeting several clients, suppliers and customers. If you’re
someone who adheres to the motto ‘variety is the spice of life’ then a career
in events planning might well tempt you.
In this opening chapter, we will begin by:
defining an event;
examining classifications and categories of events;
assessing the size and structure of the events industry;
considering the relationships between events and other industry sectors.
Defining an event
When events professionals talk about an event, they are not talking about
natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and freak storms, but about
planned gatherings of people. Some gatherings might involve family and
friends, work colleagues or work contacts from other businesses. Other
gatherings might include a room full of strangers – as is often the case when
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attending live events such as concerts or sporting competitions. The purpose
of the gathering will inevitably vary. Sometimes people gather simply to
be entertained while at other times people gather to be educated. But the
important point here is that the gathering is planned and there is a purpose
to it. The first part of our definition is:
‘An event is a planned gathering with a purpose’
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Stop for a moment and think about a recent event that you attended. Which
event did you immediately think of? A special occasion such as a birthday
or wedding perhaps, or a sporting competition or a music concert? Maybe
you thought of it as a particularly enjoyable experience? You may have been
fortunate enough to have shared the company of close family and friends.
Maybe the event took place somewhere exotic or on a glorious sunny day.
Whatever the event, it was obviously something memorable. This brings us
to the second part of our definition:
‘An event is memorable or special’
One of the most recent and memorable events that we attended was an
open-air concert performance. The concert took place in beautiful leafy surroundings, in an outside venue with attendees gazing up at the stars while
enjoying a picnic with family and friends. It was a truly wonderful evening
in a magnificent setting. But, as they say, all good things come to an end. The
concert performance, like all events, lasted only for a fixed length of time.
Some events last only a matter of hours – a concert performance or a football match. Other events may last a few days – an outdoor festival or industry trade show. Some events might last a few weeks such as an art exhibition
or festive Christmas market. Whatever the length of time, all events have a
predetermined life cycle with a planned start and end date. This brings us to
the third part of our definition:
‘An event is temporary’
F i g u r e 1. 1 Defining an event
An event is a
planned
gathering
An event is
temporary
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An event is
memorable
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The box below shows some further definitions and descriptions of an event
given by some of the leading events management authors:
‘An occurrence at a given place and time; a special set of circumstances;
a noteworthy occurrence.’
Getz (2007)
‘Those non routine occasions set apart from the normal activity of daily life
of a group of people.’
(Shone & Parry, 2013)
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‘An occasion, a gathering of people at a certain place at a certain time for
a specific reason.’
(Kilkenny, 2011)
‘A gathering of human beings, generally lasting from a few hours to a few
days, designed to celebrate, honour, discuss, sell, teach about, encourage,
observe, or influence human endeavours.’
(Matthews, 2008)
‘Every event experience is unique arising from interactions of setting,
programme and people.’
(Getz, 2007)
Classifications and categories of events
One of the most enjoyable aspects of a career in the events industry is the
opportunity to work on a variety of different events. Below we consider
some of the main ways of grouping or categorizing events.
Categorization by type
Events are most often categorized according to their type. So, for example,
although a family birthday and wedding might be very different, they can
both be grouped as private events. Similarly, a business meeting or trade
show can be grouped under the category of business events.
Getz’ Typology of Events is the most commonly used method of categorizing events by type. Table 1.1 shows the eight different types of events as
categorized by Getz (2007) and includes examples of each.
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ta b l e 1. 1
Getz typology of events
Cultural
celebrations
Business and
trade
Arts and
entertainment
educational and
scientific
Festivals
Carnivals
Religious events
Meetings
Product launches
Trade shows
Concerts
Performances
Awards ceremonies
Conferences
Seminars
Training
Political & state
Private events
recreational
Sport competition
Political summits
Royal occasions
State visits
Parties
Weddings
Family occasions
Games
Outdoor activities
Adventure activities
Individual/Team
Amateur/Professional
Local/International
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Top Tip
If you are thinking about a career in the events industry then it’s a good
idea to gain experience of different types of events. This could be through
volunteering to help at different events, putting on your own events in the
local community or even simply attending several kinds of events. By
getting involved in a variety of types of events you will learn new things,
try out different types of work (you may even discover a hidden talent) and,
most importantly, make new contacts. We’ve all heard that it’s often ‘not
what you know but who you know’, and that couldn’t be more true than
when it comes to forging a career in the events industry.
Categorization by size and impact
Events vary in their size and impact, with terms such as ‘community event’
or ‘mega event’ used to describe and categorize them. A local event might
include a village fete or networking lunch aimed at businesses in the local
community. These events are unlikely to draw in a huge attendance or generate a great deal of media interest outside the locality. The amount of time
and resources needed to plan an event of this type should also be reasonably
limited. A mega event, such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup,
will attract viewing figures of billions from all around the globe. The organizing committee work for several years to ensure the success of an event of
this magnitude.
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Bowdin et al (2012) identify four categories of events – ‘local’, ‘major’,
‘hallmark’ and ‘mega’.
Local events
As mentioned above, a good example of a local event is a village fete bringing members of the local community together. Indeed, members of the local
community as well as local businesses would be likely to be involved in
planning and running an event of this type. The main purpose here is to
engage members of the local community.
Major events
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Unlike a local event, major events are likely to attract visitors from outside
the local region and often in large numbers. Examples of major events for
a region include an art and cultural festival or an international business
convention. The main purpose of hosting such events is to generate increased
visitor spend in local shops, restaurants, cafes, hotels and other local businesses. Major events are also likely to attract interest from the media, which
in turn will attract more visitors to the region.
Hallmark events
Hallmark events as those events that become so identified with a particular
town, city or region that they become synonymous with the name of the
place. An excellent example of a hallmark event is the Wimbledon Tennis
Championships. If you were to tell a friend that you were going to Wimbledon
they’d probably assume you had tickets to watch the tennis tournament,
rather than think you’d be travelling to south-west London. The Glastonbury
Festival is another excellent example of a hallmark event although, as case
study 1.1 shows, the festival is in fact held in a village called Pilton rather
than Glastonbury itself.
Mega events
As the name suggests, mega events are the largest in terms of their size and
impact. Perhaps the best example of a mega event is the Olympic Games
which every four years attracts participants and spectators from all over the
world to the host city as well as commanding TV audiences of billions. For
the host city the Games has the potential to generate substantial economic
gains but the high costs of hosting the Games can mean huge debts if not
managed carefully by the organizing committee.
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C a s e s t u dy 1. 1 Glastonbury Festival: A hallmark event
Alex Clarke, Event Production Freelancer, UK Centre for Events Management
Graduate, 2013
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Glastonbury is a market/pilgrimage town situated in the heart of Somerset, in the
south-west of England, with a population of almost 10,000. It is often described as
a ‘new age’ town with many people visiting for its spiritual connections, myths and
legends. However, the main attraction to the area is undoubtedly the Glastonbury
Festival.
In 1970, Michael Eavis, a farmer, inspired by a local blues festival, put on an
event on his own farm in Pilton – then called the Pilton Festival. Tickets were only
£1 and all milk from the farm was free to the 1,500 attendees. Over 40 years later
the Glastonbury Festival is one of the largest, most renowned festivals in the world
with bands scrambling for a slot on the line-up. Attendance at the Festival has
slowly increased from 1,500 to nearly 200,000 in 2014.
While Glastonbury Festival has made the town of Glastonbury famous, it is
worth pointing out that Worthy Farm (where the Festival is held) is actually in
Pilton village, and is closer to the town of Shepton Mallet (3.3 miles), than to
Glastonbury itself (6.7 miles). This is worth noting for two reasons. The first being
that although the hallmark Festival is synonymous with the town of Glastonbury, its
physical connections are tentative. Secondly, because although the people of the
town of Glastonbury are affected by the Festival, it affects those in the two closer
towns to a much greater extent. The impact on local residents around the Festival
can be astronomical: traffic, people and bad behaviour all play a part, with many
local residents finding it impossible to get to work, or to function in their normal
day-to-day lives.
John Clarke, the Site Manager of Glastonbury Festival, explains: ‘The impact of
traffic congestion on the local communities of Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury is
probably the biggest impact they feel from the Festival. Although our set up/break
down can take up to three months, it is from the Monday before the Festival that
the major disruption starts. We call this “Manic Monday” as this is when traders
are allowed onto site and staff/crew numbers increase dramatically.’
However, the local economy does benefit from spending in surrounding towns.
Shepton Mallet is home to a large superstore and local shops, which are often the
last port of call before the Festival for drinks, food and other forgotten items.
Funding is put back into the surrounding communities by the Festival organizers,
and every year a ‘thank you’ concert is held for local residents only, at the end of
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the summer season. The Festival also tries to help local residents carry on with life
by encouraging Festival attendees to use trains and shuttle buses and also
providing local residents with transport passes that entitle them access to certain
areas surrounding the Festival, in theory making their journeys more manageable.
The local population are given a break from the Festival usually about every five
years. These are known as the ‘fallow’ years (a farming term) when the farmland,
the villagers and the organizers are all given a year off to recover.
Read more:
Glastonbury Festival (2014) History 1970, [Online] Glastonbury Festivals Ltd
available from www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/history/history-1970/
[Accessed: 18 July 2014]
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Hatherley, O (2014) Glastonbury: the pop-up city that plays home to 200,000 for the
weekend, The Guardian [Online] 23 June, available from www.theguardian.com/
cities/2014/jun/23/glastonbury-city-pop-up-weekend-festival [Accessed:
18 July 2014]
Other ways of categorizing events
Frequency
Christmas and New Year celebrations are obvious examples of events that
occur annually. Business events such as half-yearly sales meetings, monthly
staff awards and prize-givings as well as daily team meetings are also events
that can be categorized by their frequency.
Geography
Sporting competitions are a good example of events that can easily be categorized by geography. In the sport of athletics there are World and European
Championships, with each event occurring every two years. Many countries
around the world also host both regional and national athletic championships each year.
Sector
When asked ‘what do you do?’ an events professional might explain that
they manage events in a particular sector, such as the corporate, public or
charitable sector. In addition, somebody specializing in a particular sector
might tell you that they specialize in a specific sub-sector. For example, an
events planner specializing in corporate events might work predominantly
with clients in sub-sectors such as the banking, legal or medical industries.
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Internal or external
Examples of internal events include staff team-building events and staff
meetings. These events are usually only attended by employees working
within a particular organization and are often referred to as ‘in-house’
events. External events, on the other hand, are used by an organization to
engage with people from outside the company. These include events such as
product launches and media events.
Size and structure of the industry
Size
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With events taking place each and every day all around the world, providing
any accurate data about the size of the industry is extremely difficult. Table 1.2
shows the host cities and countries for the world’s biggest sporting spectacle
(the Summer Olympics) and one of the most global political events (the G20
Summit), which demonstrates that events are truly global.
Furthermore, the events industry is fragmented, with many small companies
(often employing only one or two people) operating in the sector. Consequently,
it is challenging to calculate the number of companies that exist, or even the
number of people employed in the industry. To further complicate matters,
there is significant overlap between events organizations and those in other
closely related sectors (eg tourism, hospitality and sport), which means that
categorizing or grouping businesses neatly into a specific sector is almost
impossible.
Despite the difficulties in obtaining accurate data about the size of the
events industry, nearly everyone agrees that the sector is growing quickly
and that it is an exciting time to be a part of it. However, a number of global
studies and research reports do attempt to provide us with an indication of
the size, scale and growth of the industry. Below are some key facts and
figures regarding the economic value of the events industry.
ta b l e 1. 2
Host cities and countries for the Summer Olympics
and G20 Summit
Summer Olympics
g20 Summit
2000 Sydney, Australia
2004 Athens, Greece
2008 Beijing, China
2012 London, England
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2011 Cannes, France
2012 Los Cabos, Mexico
2013 St Petersburg, Russia
2014 Brisbane, Australia
2015 Antalya, Turkey
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Facts and figures
The British Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) provide key facts and
figures about the value of business events and conferences to the British
economy:
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UK business events sector is worth £39.1bn to the UK visitor economy.
Around 80 million people attend 1.5 million conferences and meetings
annually.
The sector’s 25,000 businesses employ 530,000 people.
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UK Music have undertaken a study on the economic benefits festivals and
concerts bring to the UK music industry:
The major music festivals and concerts in the UK attract 7.7 million
music tourists a year.
Music tourists at festivals and concerts spend £1.6 billion in total during
their trips.
This boosts the UK economy to the tune of at least £864 million a year,
providing 19,700 full-time jobs.
The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) provide
statistics to show the importance of international business events to the
Australian tourism market:
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Business events held in Australia attract 900,000 international delegates
a year.
International business event delegates spend $2.7bn in GDP in total
(21 per cent of all international visitor spend).
30 per cent of international business event delegates are from Asia
where growth prospects are greater than any other market.
The business events sector creates 22,500 jobs.
Research commissioned by the Convention Industry Council (CIC) identified
positive growth in the US meetings industry between 2009 and 2012:
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1.83 million meetings and events were attended by 225 million
participants (an increase of 10 per cent).
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The meetings industry contributed more than $115 billion to the
economy (an increase of 9.6 per cent) surpassing that of the air
transportation, motion picture, sound recording, performing arts and
spectator sport industries.
The meetings industry provides jobs for nearly 1.8 million people in the
United States (an 8.3 per cent increase).
Top Tip
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It is important for an event professional to keep up to date with current
research that indicates the growth of the events industry – whether this is
the growth of a particular sector or a specific country or region of the
world. Economic growth means that there will be a greater demand for
events, which in turn will create new opportunities for work. Likewise,
it’s important to identify any patterns of decline in the industry. In this case,
it may be necessary for a professional to diversify their offer (ie have the
ability to work with a wide range of clients on different types of events.
Structure
We have seen that the very nature of an event brings people together
(attendees), but an event also brings together a range of individuals and
organizations whose involvement and interaction is necessary to ensure
the smooth running of an event.
It is possible to group these into three categories:
1 Event clients
2 Event organisers
3 Event suppliers
Event clients
Events clients are the ‘buyers’ of events, who hire or employ event organizers
to plan, organize and run the events on their behalf. Typically, it is corporate
companies who have a budget to hire professional event organizers,
although private individuals hosting elaborate parties and weddings may
also require the expertise of a professional event organizer.
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Event organizers
Event organizers are professional individuals and groups who plan, organize
and run an event on behalf of their clients. An event organizer acts as liaison
between their client and suppliers and is ultimately responsible for the
smooth running of the event. An event organizer can be tasked with running
an event on behalf of their own organization as well as being hired by an
external client. For example, in larger companies, events such as Annual
General Meetings (AGMs) and annual conferences are often run by an
‘in-house’ event organizer.
Event suppliers
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Event suppliers constitute a wide range of specialist organizations providing
elements of the goods and services needed by the professional event organizer
to ensure the success of an event. The larger the event, the greater the need
for goods and services, and the more complex the event, the greater the need
for increased technical and specialist support, eg sound and lighting engineers
or pyrotechnics operators.
F i g u r e 1. 2 Key players in the events industry
Clients
Event
organizer
Suppliers
Figure 1.2 (although not to scale) represents the relative position and size of
the event organizers, suppliers and clients in the industry. At the heart of any
event, you will find an event organizer tasked with managing the event on
behalf of their client and liaising with various suppliers to ensure the smooth
running of the event. In essence their role is to work as an inter­mediary
between their client (or buyer) and the suppliers.
You will notice that each of the circles in Figure 1.2 is a different size
with the smallest circle representing the event organizer who, as already
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mentioned, is often only one or two people. The event organizer is likely to
be setting up a number of events at any one time and dealing with multiple
clients, and so the circle representing the event’s clients is larger. The last
circle, the biggest of all, represents the event’ suppliers who for any given
event (particularly larger and more complex ones) will include a plethora of
organizations providing the goods and services needed to make the event
happen.
This case study looks at the key players contributing to the success of the
Great North Run – ‘The World’s Greatest Half Marathon’ – taking place
annually in the north-east of England and the first run in the world to reach
the milestone of its one-millionth finisher.
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C a s e s t u dy 1. 2 Great North Run
Jonny Clegg, UK Centre for Events Management Graduate, 2015. Placement
Student at The Children’s Foundation, 2012–2013
The iconic Great North Run is currently the second-largest half marathon in the
world (after the Gothenburg half marathon), attracting over 57,000 runners; in
September 2014 it was the first International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) event in the world to reach its one-millionth finisher. The Great North Run is
held in the north-east of England, stretching across Newcastle, Gateshead and
South Shields, and has achieved IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, signifying it
as one of the leading road races in the world. In 2014 the race attracted people
from over 40 different countries, establishing the event as ‘The World’s Greatest
Half Marathon’. The race sees world-class athletes competing, including Mo Farah,
Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe.
The Great North Run brings together a multitude of sponsors, partners and
organizers who all contribute to its success, including three local authorities.
Bupa has been the title partner for the last 22 years, making it one of the longest
sports sponsorships agreements ever. Bupa is also the title partner for the Great
Run series, which is part of Nova International sporting group, which specializes
in the development, design, organization and rights management of mass
participation and televised sporting events. Joe Milner from Nova explains: ‘Here
at Nova we aim to create events which engage the local community and year-onyear there are tens of thousands of supporters lining the route cheering on
participants and showing their support.’
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In 2009, Powerade became the category sponsor for the Great Run and Great
Swim series in an aim to become more popular within the running community.
Over the five years they have been sponsors, Powerade have been able to reach
1 million runners, 2.2 million spectators, and 50 million TV viewers, while 2 million
bottles of Powerade have been sampled. Sponsors such as Powerade and Bupa
are also present at associated events such as the Pasta Party, which is held the
night before the run. As well as sponsors benefiting from the event, the Great
North Run has an economic impact of £38 million on the region.
Many participants take part to raise money for charity and on average £28
million is raised each year. There are 298 official charities from across the country
working all year round recruiting runners, advising on training, and waiting to
meet and greet runners in the Charity Village at the end of the Run.
Libby Nolan, Fundraising Manager for The Children’s Foundation explains: ‘In the
months leading up to the Great North Run we help to prepare the runners with
advice on training and are on hand for any questions they may have.’
The Great North Run is an event that takes months of planning but leaves
behind a legacy that lasts a lifetime. From the hundreds of bus drivers who
transport the runners’ baggage to the finish line, to the thousands of workers who
hand out water, direct runners and ensure the safety of participants, there is an
extensive range of organizations associated with this event, and without them the
Great North Run would not be such a success.
Read more: www.greatrun.org/events/Information.aspx?ctid=317&id=1
Having the necessary equipment, facilities and infrastructure at your event
is an essential part of the planning process (more about this in Chapter 5).
The following checklist contains a list of event suppliers and support
services that may be needed to make your event a success. This list will need
to be amended as the equipment, facilities and services required will vary
according to the type of event and the activities you have taking place.
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CHECKLIST: Event suppliers and support services
OrgANiZerS
Professional event organizers
Event management companies
Event production companies
Party and event planners
VeNue
Venue hire
Room hire
Equipment hire
Outside catering
Toilets and public facilities
Car parking
Security
Theming companies
Guest speakers
Workshop facilitators
Artists and performers
STAFF
Security
Stewards
Volunteers
Agency staff
Bar staff
Uniform providers
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CONTeNT
FOOD & BeVerAge
TeMPOrArY
STruCTureS/SiTe
Bars
Food concessions
Staging company
Specialist hospitality
Portable accommodation supplier Mobile catering
Roadway/walkway supplier
eNTerTAiNMeNT
Fencing/barrier supplier
Local attractions
Site vehicle supplier
Tour guides
Toilets and public facilities
Ticketing agencies
Waste management
Photographers and video makers
Traffic management
Music and entertainment
Crowd management
Costume hire services
Health and Safety
Florists
CCTV
Telecomms
Wifi
AuDiO ViSuAL
TrAVeL & ACCOMMODATiON Travel agencies
Transport companies
Hotel booking agencies
Lighting companies
Sound companies
Multimedia companies
Live streaming companies
Pyrotechnics operators
Destination marketing
organizations (DMOs)
Local tourism bodies
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Relationships with other industry sectors
There are many individuals and organizations that would not consider
themselves to be part of the events industry but who do in fact spend a
significant amount of time planning, organizing, hosting and running events
(you may be one of them!). This is because there is significant overlap
between the events industry and other closely related sectors such as the
tourism, hospitality and sport industries.
Tourism
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Earlier we explained how large events can attract visitors (eg spectators,
participants, suppliers and media) from outside a region. Getz (2007) refers to
this as the ‘drawing power’ of events to destinations, which can be measured
by how many visitors come to a region to attend an event, as well as how
much money they spend, for example, on accommodation, travel, eating,
drinking and entertainment.
In recognition of the ‘drawing power’ of events, more and more tourism
organizations (both local and national) are developing a destination-based
event tourism strategy to increase the economic benefits of events. The City
of Edinburgh promotes itself as the world’s leading festival city with 12
major annual festivals taking place all year round. Festivals such as the
Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, the Edinburgh
International Film Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo have become
a permanent part of the city’s identity and help to attract 4.2 million attendees
from 70 countries (Edinburgh Festival City Official Website, nd).
Hosting an event also plays an important role in enhancing the image
of a particular destination, which in turn will help to attract visitors to the
region even after the event has finished. The following case study explains
how the world’s biggest annual sporting event – The Tour de France – has
helped to put Yorkshire on the tourist map.
C a s e S t u dy 1. 4 Y orkshire Grand Départ of the Tour
de France 2014
Julia Calver, Senior Lecturer – UK Centre for Events Management
The Tour de France is the biggest annual sporting event in the world. Organized by
the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) it attracts a global television audience of
3 billion and a roadside audience of 12 million. It offers incredible profile for
participants, funders and sponsors over the 21 stages of the race. The first two
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stages in particular, known as the Grand Départ, offer increased attention by
being the start of the event and are regularly located in countries other than
France.
It was because of this that Gary Verity, Chief Executive of tourism agency
Welcome to Yorkshire, saw the opportunity to put the county in the global spotlight
by bidding for the right to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2014.
The bid was developed during the latter half of 2011 and submitted to ASO in
mid-2012. The bid required the development of partnerships and networks between
Welcome to Yorkshire, the local authorities within the region, the tourism sector,
the wider business community and high-profile individuals. This was in order to
demonstrate the enthusiasm and willingness not only of Welcome to Yorkshire
but of all the participating agencies. Wider value beyond the basic hosting was
recognized during this process, for example in the plans to hold a county-wide
arts festival and to set up a Legacy Board to harness the benefits post-event.
Much emphasis was put on public engagement with the collection of over 130,000
pledges of support through the consumer-facing Back le Bid campaign.
This proactive approach paid dividends when it was announced in December
2012 that Yorkshire would host the Grand Départ in 2014 with 6,000 attending the
January 2013 public launch in Leeds City Centre.
The period between the announcement of winning the bid and the event was
characterized by partner organizations capitalizing on opportunities open to them.
This ranged from using the event to maximize bookings for hotels, to value-added
visits to local attractions. Farmers created pop-up camp sites and brewers brewed
commemorative ales. Welcome to Yorkshire worked with the Arts Council, local
authorities and the private sector sponsor, Yorkshire Water, to present the
Yorkshire Festival 2014, a celebration of arts in Yorkshire, in the 100-day lead-up to
the Grand Départ. It also worked with local authorities and British Cycling to leave
a cycling legacy known as Cycle Yorkshire, a 10-year programme to build
participation in cycling.
The event weekend began on 3 July with the presentation of the teams at Leeds
Arena. Watched by a live audience of 11,000, a British TV audience of over a
million and a worldwide TV audience of 3.5 billion, the event heralded a spectacular
spectator turnout for the race days. Over the two days, more than 4 million people
turned out to cheer, as the race unfolded over beautiful countryside in gorgeous
summer weather, fulfilling the dream of putting Yorkshire on the global destination
and sporting map.
Read more: www.letour.yorkshire.com, www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk,
www.cycle.yorkshire.com
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Introduction to events
17
Hospitality
Sport
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Hospitality is often described as the business of making people feel welcome
and relaxed and helping them to enjoy themselves. A great event organizer
understands the importance of being hospitable to those attending the event
(eg providing a warm and friendly welcome on arrival, or a meal or drink in
a pleasant environment), and takes pride in the delivery of excellent hospitality. While the concept of hospitality may appear simple, it isn’t easy to
get right. A survey of 300 UK conference organizers found that the most
frequent cause for complaint from delegates was related to the food and
beverage, which demonstrates that great hospitality can set your event apart
from other events (UK Conference Market Survey, 2006).
The hospitality sector includes all businesses that provide food, beverages
and/or accommodation services. The sector includes restaurants and hotels
which often provide the space event organizers need to put on an event.
Many private events, such as birthday parties, are held in restaurants and
business conferences often take place in hotels. Hotels also provide accommodation for conference delegates staying overnight.
VIP hospitality is a feature at many large spectator events (in particular
sporting events) and is extremely attractive to corporate clients looking to
entertain their clients or potential prospects. At larger events you will find a
wide range of hospitality packages to suit a range of budgets and preferences.
Increasingly, there has been a ‘democratization’ of corporate hospitality,
with companies such as Vodafone introducing VIP event packages for all its
customers in 2010. Typically the ‘VIP treatment’ at an event involves good
quality food and drink, some of the best seats in the house, as well as being
entertained.
Sport by its very nature involves competitions and events to determine the
winners. The very biggest sporting spectacles usually attract spectators and
television audiences from around the world but, interestingly, the world’s
largest annual participation sports event is the Gothia Cup – The World
Youth Cup. This is a week-long youth football tournament held annually in
Gothenburg for both boys and girls, with 1,600 teams, from 80 nations
participating in 4,500 matches on 110 pitches. While the Gothia Cup may
not attract the same level of attention as other sporting spectacles, it undoubtedly requires careful planning, organizing and running for an event
of this size and scale (Gothia Cup Official Website, nd).
Sporting stadiums are among the largest venues in the world – the largest
sporting venue in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has a per­
manent seating capacity for more than 257,000 (World Stadium’s Official
Website, nd) – and as such, host some of the world’s largest events. Wembley
Stadium, the ‘home of football’ and the second largest football stadium in
Europe, each year hosts major events such as the finals of the football
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FA Cup and League Cup, as well as international fixtures for the England
team, and in 2011 and 2013 hosted the UEFA Champions League Final. The
stadium also hosts major events for sports other than football including the
Rugby League Challenge Cup Final and American football NFL International
Series matches. However, there are even more events hosted at the stadium
each year that are not related to sport, from major concerts to private events
such as weddings and conferences. Indeed, it is an economic necessity for the
modern sporting stadiums to host non-sporting events given the costs of
building and maintaining the stadium.
Chapter summary
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An event is a planned gathering of a temporary nature, which is often
a memorable or special occasion for the attendees.
Many different types of event are hosted and these can be grouped
(or categorized) according to their type, size and impact, frequency,
geography or sector.
With planned events taking place each and every day all around the
world, the events industry is a truly global industry which continues
to grow quickly.
The structure of the events industry is complex with a plethora of
organizations and individuals providing the goods and services
needed to make an event happen.
There is significant overlap between the events industry and other
closely related industry sectors such as tourism, hospitality and sport.
Reference list
Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (2014) Business Events: Delivering
Economic Prosperity for Australia, [online] available from: http://aacb.org.au/
exfiles/Delivering%20Economic%20Prosperity%20-for%20Australia.pdf
[Accessed: 30 December 2014]
Bowdin, G, Allen, J, Harris, R, McDonnell, I and O’Toole, W (2012) Events
Management, 3rd edn, Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford
British Visits and Event Partnership (2014) EVENTS ARE GREAT BRITAIN: A
report on the size and value of Britain’s events industry, its characteristics,
trends, opportunities and key issues – Executive Summary (published in March
2014) [online] available from www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com/
research-and-publications/research/category/4-bvep-research [Accessed:
5 November 2014]
Convention Industry Council (2014) FACT SHEET 2014: The Economic
Significance of Meetings to the US Economy [online] available from:
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Sheet%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed: 30 December 2014]
Edinburgh Festival City Official Website (nd) [online] available from:
www.edinburghfestivalcity.com/the-city [Accessed: 31 December 2014]
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Gothia Cup Official Website (nd) Tournament Brochure for 2015, [online]
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Getz, D (2007) Event Studies: Theory, Research and Policy for Planned Events
(Events Management), Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford
Hitched W.I.F.E Wedding Industry Facts and Economics (nd) Each year
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Kilkenny, S (2011) The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning, 2nd edn,
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Matthews, D (2008) Special Event Production: The Process, Butterworth
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Shone, A and Parry, B (2013) Successful Event Management: A Practical
Handbook, 4th edn, Cengage Learning EMEA, Andover
The Wedding Report (2013) 2013 Wedding Statistics Summary for United States
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5 November 2014]
UK Conference Market Survey (2006) in Rogers T (2008) Conferences and
Conventions: A Global Industry, 2nd edn, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann,
Oxford
UK Music (2011) Destination Music – The Contribution of Music Festivals and
Major Concerts to Tourism in the UK, UK Music [online] available from:
www.ukmusic.org/assets/media/UK%20Music%20-Music%20Tourism.pdf
[Accessed: 5 November 2014]
World Stadiums Official Website (nd) [online] available from:
www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_menu/stadium_list/100000.shtml
[Accessed: 1 January 2015]
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